The Nigerian Government has inaugurated the National Steering Committee (SC) and Technical Working Group (TWG) for Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Tuberculosis Control. Inaugurating the SC and TWG recently in Abuja, the Minister of Health, said that 2017 WHO Global TB report shows that the incidence of all forms of Tuberculosis in Nigeria was 219/100,000.
“This means that for every 1,000 Nigerian, two are likely to have TB. Secondly, of an estimated 407,000 new cases of TB occurring in 2017, only 104,904 cases were diagnosed and notified which means about 302,000 TB cases were undetected and missing from national notification,” he stated.
Professor Adewole stressed that only 2286 of the estimated 20,000 DR-TB cases in 2017 were diagnosed with about 17,000 missing DR- TB cases.
He informed that the missing TB cases continue to fuel the transmission of the disease, adding that one undetected TB case would be able to infect 10-15 persons annually.
To this end, The Minister said that it was evident that TB control requires considerable financial outlay,
“It is important to note too, that the cost of increasing efforts was even much higher, so in order to Mobilise Domestic Resources towards addressing the huge funding gap in TB control, we have established the Domestic Resource Mobilization Technical Working Group (TWG) and the Steering Committee (SC) for Tuberculosis Control,’’ he stated.
Professor Adewole emphasised that the responsibility of the Domestic Resource Mobilization for SC and TWG was to support the Ministry in its effort to oversee the implementation and coordination of TB financing reforms which are aimed at ensuring universal as aimed at eradicating TB and ensured a Tuberculosis Free Nigeria.
The Terms of References of the DRM Steering Committee are to set the policy and programming direction for DRM for TB in Nigeria, galvanise domestic resource mobilisation for TB efforts in Nigeria in order to ensure universal access to TB services for a TB free Nigeria, among others.
While the TORs of the DRM TWG are to engage all stakeholders in Nigeria to mobilise sustainable funding and other support towards ending TB in Nigeria, facilitate increased political and social support for TB control policies and programmes in Nigeria.
Others are to coordinate advocacy efforts aimed at achieving TB financing reforms, Oversee the implementation of policy ,legal and institutional reforms aimed at improving the TB financing landscape in Nigeria and recommend on the appropriate mix of TB financing mechanisms
In her presentation, the National Coordinator, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr. Adebola Lawason, informed that Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem globally and especially in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria was 7th among the 30 countries with highest burden of TB cases globally and 2nd in Africa.
She pointed out that an increase in domestic funding was needed to achieve the END TB strategy which was an integral part of the”Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.’’
Professor Adewole was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mr. Clement Uwaifo.
